Star-Cross'd Lovers
by Balthasar
Summary: Ross and Rachel spend the evening hanging out.


"Star-Cross'd Lovers"  
  
by Balthasar  
  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters. The story is mine, however.   
  
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  
  
Rain cascaded down the overflowing gutters like Mets' fans to and from a   
double-header. Rachel, among others soaked from the sudden downpour, was   
trying to hail a cab. Unsuccessfully, you might say. A stranger pushed his   
way to the curb relocating Rachel to the nearest post box.   
  
"Watch it, pal!" she cried as she re-collected herself and her briefcase   
which had fallen in the midst of abrupt chaos. People's politeness seemed to   
be nonexistent as long as the clouds wept.   
  
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$   
  
Rachel rubbed her aching side as she unlocked the door guarding the apartment   
she shared with Joey. Her kidneys felt as if they'd been punctured with a   
letter-opener. She gave no thanks to the rude businessman on the corner of 5th Avenue and   
88th Street.   
  
"Hey, Rach," Joey and Ross said almost in unison. Joey was relaxing in the   
recliner; Ross took comfort to a stool at the counter. They drank beers   
absent-mindedly while listening to the radio.   
  
"Hey, guys," she replied. "Ross, did you get trapped in the rain on your way   
home from work, too?" His wet hair and wrinkled jacket didn't keep secrets   
especially to those with a fashion sense. She rested her handbag on the   
counter, and peeled her dampened trench coat from her equally dampened body.   
  
"Oh, just barely.... I had just gotten off the subway when it started so I   
didn't get it as badly as you did," he said as he gestured to her clothes.   
  
Rachel took a sweeping look at her own attire. Her light, button-up shirt was   
utterly see-through and plastered to her chest leaving little to the   
imagination. If that wasn't bad enough, her skirt was hiked up revealing her   
smooth thighs. "Oh, well, huh?" She tended to adjusting her Peeping Tom   
endorsed clothing. "How long did they say this crummy weather is gonna last?"   
She started towards her room to change.   
  
"I dunno," Joey offered. "The cable is out."   
  
"What? Is it? That's terrific. What next?" she mused quite amused by Joey's   
downtrodden face. "Joey, I'm sure it'll be on again soon."   
  
Ross said loud enough for Rachel to hear inside the closed door of her   
chamber, "We borrowed the radio from the bathroom. So far they've had more   
commercials than weather updates, unfortunately."   
  
"Good thinking about the radio!" she shouted to be sure they could hear her.   
Rachel resumed her undressing. She slowly unbuttoned her shirt and let it   
fall to the floor. She ran her hand over her stomach and up to the front her   
bra. Like her shirt, they were wet, also. She stripped down to her panties so   
she could dry herself with the towel from the morning's shower. She glanced   
at herself in the mirror. At the small of her back was a reddish mark from her   
encounter with US Postal Service equipment.   
  
Oh, great, she thought. That's definitely leaving a mark. She finished   
dressing with a pair of red track pants and an oversized, black fleece. She   
had replaced her wet bra with dry sports one. The racer back was comfortable   
for hanging around the house. Her hair needed attention, but she opted for a   
loose bun because, hell, it was just a Tuesday night.   
  
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$   
  
"Hey," she said to Ross as she entered the living room. "Where's Joey?"   
  
"He went down to the coffee house. I was waiting for you to come, too,   
but...judging from what you're wearing..." he drifted off.   
  
"Oh, sorry. I'd come, normally. You wouldn't have guessed that I wouldn't   
today. Sorry," she said with a smile. She curled up on the recliner. "You can   
hang out with me here if you want. I'm just gonna station surf, though."   
  
"Is that a warning?" he said jokingly. "If you want some company, I'll stay."   
  
"Of course, I want your company," she said. "You, me, and Raymond will hang   
out."   
  
"Uh, Ray the radio, huh? Okay. Sounds good to me. I'm gonna get some   
coffee first. Do you want anything? It'll only take me five minutes," Ross   
offered kindly. He started to pull on his jacket; he'd surely need it if he were to step foot outside.  
  
"Hmm...." Rachel scrunched her lips and then said decidedly, "I think I could   
go for a mochaccino," she sat cross-legged in the chair, "with a side of   
Ross."   
  
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$   
  
"Doctor, doctor, give me the news. I've gotta...bad case of lo-oooovin'   
yo-ou...."   
  
Rachel and Ross belted out the lyrics to the vintage Robert Palmer song. The   
radio station was in full swing of their exclusive flashback hour, and the   
caffeine was beginning to make its way into Ross and Rachel's blood streams.   
  
"Hey, you turd!" Rachel accused Ross. "It's my turn still! You just gave me   
your two kings." She grabbed the bicycle card from Ross' hand and buried it   
beneath the "pond" of cards as it was before.   
  
"Oh, sorry. I forgot again," Ross apologized for what seemed like the   
millionth time since they brought out the deck.   
  
"It's all right. I don't suppose I should just expect a man with a Ph.D. to   
know the rules of 'Go Fish,'" Rachel started to pick a fight for what seemed   
like the millionth time that evening.   
  
"Well, hell, if you would quit singing and start playing the game we wouldn't   
have these problems," Ross fired back at her. He knew she was looking for an argument. After   
all, she was losing. He ran his hand through his partly-dry brown hair trying to make some sense   
of the tangled locks.  
  
"Oh, shut up, Ross," Rachel said as she threw her "book" at him. She liked   
how flushed his face got when he was annoyed. It gave him a nice glow that   
was much needed on a gloomy day such that it was. He collected her strewn   
cards and organized them: deuces with deuces, tens with tens, jacks with   
jacks, etc. "Ross, you could have left them there. It's not a big deal."   
  
"Oh...." he said just realizing his work was unnecessary. Without warning,   
she gathered the cards he had organized and threw them everywhere. Ross sat looking at   
her dumb-founded. She leaned forward and took Ross' cards from his hands. She   
threw them behind herself. "Now what, Dr. Geller?" Her attitude got the best of her at times. It   
wasn't as if her attitude didn't get to Ross at times, either, though. He didn't mind the flare that it   
brought about her one bit. Rachel rose from her spot on the floor to test the cable's current   
position.  
  
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  
  
"Well, look what's working now...." Ross said as he turned to witness the cable in   
full force moments later. Rachel turned around and smiled.   
  
"I guess the gods are on my side," she said as if it were her magic touch that cured the television.   
"Let's find something good." Ross hauled a stool from the counter next to the recliner so he could   
share in the late-night programming, too. Rachel failed to locate the remote control so she was   
forced to turn the channels by the ancient method. She stood in front of the box and surfed   
network by network, station by station, channel by channel.... Her thoughts, however, were   
focused on the pain that was developing in her lower back. Ross noticed that she was rubbing her   
back and instantly became concerned being Ross and all.  
  
He asked, "Rach, what's wrong with your back?" Rachel turned her head quickly to him and then   
back at the screen.   
  
"Oh, nothing much. I got shoved by some guy on the street today. You know, mob mentality,"   
she answered giving up on the channels.  
  
"Well," Ross said inspecting the injury from the safety of his stool. "I doesn't look like 'nothing   
much.'" He stood up and reached out for her waist. Caught off-guard by Ross' actions, Rachel   
quickly jumped to the side. "Woah, hey. I'm not gonna hurt you. Just let me see." Rachel stepped   
back toward Ross and let him stake out the premises. He lifted the back of her shirt quite a ways   
revealing her bra and silky-smooth, olive skin. The scrape covered more area than Ross had   
expected; as assumed, the worst of it was located south, though. With careful hands, he   
massaged the cut with surprising expertise.  
  
"Oh, that feels better," Rachel said breaking the silence. She was enjoying Ross' touch. It worked   
out perfectly that Ross was enjoying the touch, also. He stepped backwards to the recliner and sat   
down on the floor in front of it. Rachel turned around to get a look of what it was that he was   
doing.   
  
"Sit down here. It'll be more comfortable," he advised. She sat down in front of him and slid   
herself back as he parted his crossed legs. After minutes of slouching forward, Rachel eased up   
and leaned back against Ross. Needless to say, he didn't mind. Rachel closed her eyes and took a   
deep breath as he rested his chin on her shoulder while continuing to rub her lower back. The   
skin was soft and smooth. He could tell she was relaxing nicely by the lack of tension in her   
muscles.  
  
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  
  
Joey and his date made an entrance around half-past one. They barged through the door kissing   
and giggling.   
  
"Baby, am I gonna show you a good time tonight," Joey said loudly. "The Tribbiani way or no   
way...." The bimbo giggled as if there were no tomorrow. Apparently, his charm was a big turn-  
on. Kissing and groping, they made their way to Joey's bedroom.   
  
Within seconds, Joey's head popped out of the door, and his eyes focused on the two figures   
sitting in front of the television. He raised his eyebrow and waited for an explanation.   
  
Rachel sighed and said, "Joe, get back to your date and quit worrying about us, okay? God, what   
is it with some people?" She got up angrily and went straight for the bathroom. Ross looked at   
Joey and shrugged his shoulders. He really had no idea what had gotten into Rachel.  
  
"Well," Joey said as he stuck his head inside his room. "I gotta go, Ross."  
  
"Um, yeah, bye," Ross managed to say as soon as the door slammed shut.   
  
After a little while, Rachel emerged from the bathroom. When she got to her door she said,   
"Good night, Ross. Thanks for hanging out with me and...stuff." Then she shut her door quietly.  
  
What is a guy to do?  



End file.
